Eight charged with illegally getting, cashing checks

INEZ, Ky. (WYMT) - Eight people in Martin County are now facing felony charges related to organized crime.

State police say those eight were obtaining and cashing checks illegally from the water district.

Martin County Water District officials say they do not know how it happened.

"We really have no understanding of what was going on," said Water District Manager John Mills.

They say late last year their accountants told them something was wrong.

"We have a private firm that takes care of our billing and accounts payable," said Mills.

The accountants say they noticed something fishy seemed to be going on with the water district's account, so they immediately shut down their office and started looking into every other account for irregularites. Certified Public Accountant Linda Sumpter says what they found was alarming.

"A contractor may have been paid more than what he was entitled to," she said.

Officials are not saying how much money the group took from the water district, but they did say the accounting firm reimbursed the district for all of it._______________________________________________________________________

INEZ, Ky. (AP) - A grand jury in Martin County has indicted eight people on charges of organized crime in thefts from the local water district.

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